1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a production method of a semiconductor device, a semiconductor wafer, and the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-317570 (JP 2005-317570 A) discloses a production method of the semiconductor device in which a protective tape is attached to a front side surface of the semiconductor wafer where an electrode and an insulating layer are formed, and a back side of the semiconductor wafer is processed in a state where the protective tape is kept attached.
A step is formed between the electrode and the insulating layer that are formed on the front side surface of the semiconductor wafer. Thus, in the technique disclosed in JP 2005-317570 A, when the protective tape is attached to the front side surface of the semiconductor wafer, a clearance may be formed between the semiconductor wafer and the protective tape at the step between the electrode and the insulating layer. In this case, air is sealed in the clearance between the semiconductor wafer and the protective tape. Then, when the back side of the semiconductor wafer is processed, if the semiconductor wafer is placed under a vacuum environment, the air sealed in the clearance may expand, and the semiconductor wafer may be damaged.